Pobre Changuita [English translation]

Don't play dumb

nor pretend to be interested,

nor brag to me what you

have never been.

Poor little monkey,

I've had you for four months,

well dressed and well groomed,

in a petticoat made of pure silk.

And patent-leather shoes

and ha hai, it even makes me laugh,

and I roar with laughter,

and ha hai, because of this monkey.

How unfortunate,

and even a mouthful now

gets stuck

at the thought of the cost

of the dresses and the fittings

and the patent-leather shoes.

Little monkey, would you look at that?

Now you don't want to go to the movies

that charges a cent

because you say that that's

where broke people go.

Poor little monkey,

if you're really annoyed now,

don't you remember

scrubbing the kitchen,

being someone's maid?1

And ha hai, it even makes me laugh,

and I roar with laughter,

and ha hai, because of this monkey.

How unfortunate,

and even a mouthful now

gets stuck

at the thought of the cost

of the dresses and the fittings

and the patent-leather shoes,

they taste of me.

1. lit. 'the boss' cat'.

• Artist:Lila Downs